


The Lazy Lestrange

by WolfRune20855



Series: The Basics of Broom Magic [13]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/M, Gen, Inspired by The Rigel Black Chronicles, Male-Female Friendship, it's october, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29961963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfRune20855/pseuds/WolfRune20855
Summary: Caelum and Katie start making a broom.
Relationships: Katie Bell/Marcus Flint
Series: The Basics of Broom Magic [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179386
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	The Lazy Lestrange

Caelum Lestrange didn’t actually mind Katie Bell’s company—not that he would ever admit to such a thing. It would be nearly as bad as telling the world he considered halfblood potioneer Harriet Potter a friend. For her part, Katie was dreadfully ignorant about potions and liked to spout off quidditch stats at a rate that he found painfully irritating, but she was intelligent in her own way. Her own strange, odd way—writing down runic equations the same way ordinary people wrote down shopping lists. She would’ve made a terrifying Ward Mistress if she’d wanted to, but Katie only cared about brooms. 

Brooms. Caelum had never thought about brooms much before meeting Katie. Now, it was all that he thought about. Brooms, potions, and the best ways to avoid pissing off his parents. The broom that they were collaborating on—which Katie had taken to calling the _Lazy Lestrange_ , to Caelum’s neverending annoyance—had finally reached the prototype strange. Caelum didn’t tell her, but he was excited to see how this turned out.

He’d spent the previous week brewing several gallons of a modified weightless draught, one crafted to last indefinitely. It had been a pain in the arse, but, if Caelum was right, it would all be worth it. Katie had carved a broom handle out of white oak, which she’d chosen for its durability and ability to last a long time, provided proper upkeep. 

“It’s used in boatbuilding a lot,” Katie explained as Caelum poured the potions into a long, flat, iron tub. Katie had tried to convince him to use a plastic bin, but Caelum had refused point-blank. He did not know how muggle creations would interact with magical potions. He did not want to find out, either. He was curious, not stupid. 

“Why do you explain everything as you do it?” Caelum asked, genuinely curious where Katie had picked up the habit. He didn’t mind it as it meant that he didn’t have to ask the many questions that came to mind while going through the designing process, but it was an odd trait to have. 

“Oh.” Katie blushed. “I guess I picked it up from my da. I used to hang around his workshop as a kid, and he’d explain everything he did to me. When Gilbert and Elliot are around they ask questions, so I just kind of started doing it.”

Caelum repressed a wince at the mention of her brothers. He’d had the misfortune of meeting the Bell brothers the week before when he’d stopped by the shop to go over the designs with Katie before starting brewing. They hadn’t been excited to discover their sister’s newest business venture. Elliot had glared at him menacingly the entire time, whereas Gilbert had actually had the gall to threaten him. Caelum was enraged and offended by the man, but he didn’t say anything. The beater who blew up a snitch without using magic intimidated him. It was in his best interest to nod along with Gilbert’s threats, reassuring him that he would never try to double-cross Katie. He wouldn’t. Truthfully, he had no intentions of double-crossing. It was beneath him. 

“Leanne likes to pretend it’s interesting even if she doesn’t understand what’s going on,” Katie said thoughtfully. “The only person who doesn’t care about understanding is…” She trailed off, clearly thinking of a person in particular. She did that a lot, Caelum noted. It was annoying. 

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Katie grabbed the broom-handle she’d carved. It looked different than a quidditch broom, designed with a groove where she’d put the leather seat and places for stirrups. It looked off, especially considering that it wasn’t equipped with the seat yet. That piece of the broom was in pieces on her work table. Wrapping weights around the ends, Katie grinned maniacally at Caelum. “You ready to start the Lazy Lestrange?”

“Stop calling it that.”

“Come up with a better name then.” 

“The Boring Bell,” Caelum snarked. 

“Doesn’t have the same ring to it.” Katie dropped the wood in the potion-bath. It sunk to the bottom. Now, they had to wait for the wood to open up, completely absorbing the potion into its fibers. “How about, the Careless Caelum.”

“I’m not careless.”

“Cantankerous, then.”

“The Charming Caelum,” he suggested. Katie snorted. Caelum frowned at her amused look. “What? I can be charming. I’m the Lestrange heir.” 

“A family not known for their charming personas. It’s not like you’re a Shacklebolt.” 

Caelum’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know about old pureblood families?”

Katie cringed, a frown forming on her face. “More than I ever wanted to. Tea has been _enlightening_.” Her voice took on a haughty tone, losing the slightly-northern accent she usually spoke with and adopting the Celtic lilt of a pureblood. “‘It is important to know as much as possible about the pureblood peers.’” She stuck out her tongue in disgust as she laid down on her worktable. “I don’t know why I even listen to her.” 

“Who?” 

“My grandmother,” Katie answered sullenly. 

“Who’s your grandmother?” Caelum asked. 

Rolling onto her stomach, Katie leaned on her elbows, leveling him with her are-you-an-idiot-oh-wait-you’re-Caelum stare. He’d become very familiar with it in these past few weeks. “You’re joking, right?”

“No.” Caelum shook his head. “Why would I know who your grandmother is?” 

Aside from the fact that her mother owned Quality Quidditch Supplies, her father was a broom maker, and her brothers scared the shit out of him, Caelum didn’t know much about Katie Bell’s family. There wasn’t much to know, he thought. She was a halfblood, same as Harry—annoying yet talented. Harry’s family wasn’t very interesting and she was best friends with his cousin. Why would he know who Katie’s grandmother was?

“Because you’ve listened to any of the gossip about QQS in the past, I don’t know, twenty-five years,” Katie answered, staring at Caelum expectantly.

“I don’t listen to trivial gossip.” He didn’t. If it didn’t have to do with potions, he didn’t really care about it. He wasn’t very political, much to his mother’s eternal disappointment. He had his apprenticeship. Why would he care about twenty-five-year-old gossip?

“Wow.” Katie stared at him in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve met anyone who isn’t at least passingly familiar with the story.” Sitting up, she glanced nervously around the room. “Um, so my mom was kind-of disowned from her family for marrying my dad, and it caused a big drama in the upper-echelons of society ‘cause it was the first time a Rosier had been publicly disowned in the five-hundred years they’ve been in Magical Britain.”

“You’re a Rosier?”

“Disowned, or never officially acknowledged—I don’t know which one is right,” Katie corrected, “but, yeah.” 

Caelum sat down, processing Katie’s statement. He’d heard the story, but only because his mother had been trying to convince his father to cut off ties with the family. The Lestranges were closely aligned with the Rosiers. Several branches of their trees crossed. Personally, Caelum had never particularly liked any of the Rosiers. Evan was too political; Aldon too irritating; Madeline too quiet; Cordelia too commanding. He wouldn’t have cared if their alliance was broken off—he still didn’t. As Katie said, she wasn’t even technically a Rosier. A break in the alliance wouldn’t affect business relations with her. 

“Don’t tell anyone, yeah?” Katie pulled Caelum out of his thoughts. “I don’t want it getting around.” 

“Who would I tell?” 

“I dunno. Your friends.” 

“Believe it or not, my friends don’t discuss disowned halfbloods,” Caelum scoffed. He didn’t have many friends. His peers were idiots. The only one he could stand to be around for longer than five minutes was Harry. He didn’t think she cared about something as trivial as this. “We have more important things to talk about.”

“Like what?” 

“Like potions.”

Katie shook her head. “You’re such a nerd.” 

Caelum didn’t know what a nerd was, but, based on Katie’s tone, it probably wasn’t a good thing. He gasped in offense. “I did not come here to be insulted by a halfblood-” Caelum’s complaints were cut off by the door leading into the back alley swinging open. A freakishly tall man stepped inside. Caelum frowned at his appearance. He didn’t know who this man was, but he didn’t want him here. Caelum had been enjoying himself. “Who are you?” he demanded.

Ignoring Caelum’s question, the man turned to Katie. “Who’s he, Kates?”

 _Kates._ Caelum frowned. He knew her. Caelum wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. He was probably another halfblood, Caelum thought. “I’m Caelum Lestrange,” Caelum sneered. He watched with satisfaction as the man recognized his family name. 

“Lestrange?” 

“You may have heard of me.” Caelum felt a spark of satisfaction at being recognized. His family may have been a mess, but they mattered. The Lestranges were important figures in Magical Britain. 

“I have,” the man confirmed. He squared his shoulders, causing his chest to broaden. Caelum stood, feeling uncomfortable sitting in the man’s presence. “What’re you doing here?” 

Katie stepped between the two men. “He’s a friend.” She glared at the man. He arched an eyebrow but took a step back. Caelum wouldn’t call Katie a friend, but, around her seemingly-endless stream of tall people, he wouldn’t contradict her. “Caelum and I are designing a broom together, which you would’ve noticed if you’d bothered to look around, _Marcus_.” 

Caelum wasn’t an idiot. He’d been forced to memorize all of the pureblood families in the Book of Gold as a child. He couldn’t recognize them based solely on appearance, but he knew their names. He knew who was aligned with whom. He knew their family traits. Tall, broad, and intimidating. How many people were named Marcus in Britain? There had to be several, right? 

“Marcus what, exactly?” Caelum asked. 

“Flint,” the man said with a satisfied smirk. Caelum felt the blood drain from his face. 

Katie smacked Flint lightly—familiarly—on the chest. “Be nice.” 

“I’m plenty nice,” Flint said, sounding offended. 

“Caelum and I are designing a luxury broom.” Flint continued to suspiciously eye Caelum as Katie began to explain the intricate process that went into absorbing potions into wood. Caelum, for his part, did his best to pretend that Flint’s glares weren’t affecting him. He was pretty sure he was doing a convincing job. His mother was Bellatrix Lestrange. Nothing scared him. That didn’t mean he liked the way Flint was eyeing him, though. 

He wondered why Katie even knew Flint to begin with. How were they so comfortable with each other? Were they friends? A Flint being friends with a halfblood—the idea was preposterous, and yet the evidence was clear. They were friends. Perhaps even lovers. 

A knock at the door halted Katie’s ramblings. “That’ll be the Nimbus vendor,” Katie said. “I need to sign for the brooms.” She glanced from Flint to Caelum. “Try not to kill him.” With that, she left Caelum alone with the quidditch player. 

Flint continued to eye him as silence crept into the room, his face stony. Caelum remained remarkably calm. He was good at keeping his cool. He was great at staring danger in the face. He was a Lestrange. 

“Why’re you doing this?” Flint asked after a moment. “What’s in it for you?”

To Caelum’s surprise, he answered honestly, “Luxury brooms are a nearly untapped market, especially by potioneers. I get the broom after it’s made and a cut after it hits the market.” He paused, before asking the question on his mind. He’d never been particularly sensitive around other Sacred Twenty-Eight heirs, there was no reason to start just because their families were opposed. “Why’re you doing this?”

“She's a friend.” 

“Is that all she is?” 

Flint frowned, crossing his arms defensively. “What’re you implying?”

Caelum shrugged nonchalantly, pleased that he’d made Flint uncomfortable. “Just that there aren’t many reasons for you to be friends with _Kates_. Really, my business partnership with her makes more sense. Our families are allies.” 

“I wasn’t aware the Bells had allied themselves with anyone,” Flint said. 

“I wasn’t talking about the Bells,” Caelum said. “The Lestranges and the Rosiers have been allies for centuries. Your families, on the other hand, are practically enemies.” 

“That’s ancient history,” Flint said dismissively. 

“Is it?” Caelum didn’t know the details, but he was well aware that it was a feud that ran deep. Very deep. They may have moved past killing each other, but Julian Flint and Evan Rosier were constantly publicly at each other’s throats, despite both being devoted members of the SOW party. 

“Considering I didn’t maim Aldon Rosier while at school, I’d say it is.” Flint stepped towards Caelum, towering over him. His voice took a low tone that made Caelum’s skin crawl. “I trust Katie, but if I discover that you’ve harmed her in any way, shape, or form, there won’t be a body for the aurors to find.” 

It was a promise. 

Caelum gulped.

* * *

Signing for the stack of Nimbus 2000s, Katie sent the delivery man on his way. She could carry them inside herself, and, if there were too many, she’d get Marcus and Caelum to help. Grabbing the first two boxes off of the pile, Katie lugged them towards the backdoor of Quality Quidditch Supplies. It was cracked open by a brick that was used as a doorstopper. Katie could hear voices drifting through the door.

“I’d say it is,” Marcus was saying. She stopped, freezing when an unfamiliar note filled Marcus’s voice. “I trust Katie-” She smiled at that. “-but if I discover that you’ve harmed her in any way, shape, or form, there won’t be a body for the aurors to find.”

A part of Katie flared in anger that Marcus would dare to threaten Caelum. She knew what she was doing, and she didn’t need him butting into her business. At the same time, her lungs tightened as hope swelled in her chest. She knew Marcus cared—he’d told her time and time again with both his words and actions—but she’d never realized the depth at which he cared. 

She’d always clumped Marcus in the same category as her brothers. Gilbert looked out for her. Elliot kept an eye on her. They cared because that’s what family does. Family cares. They have to. Even when she was fighting with her mum, she still cared about her—she still loved her. 

But Marcus wasn’t family. Marcus had never been family. He didn’t care about her the same way her brothers did. He didn’t have to care—he had no brotherly duty to protect her, yet he did. Leanne wouldn’t have threatened Caelum. She was too good for that. Too trusting. Alicia would have, Katie thought, but any threats of harm wouldn’t have been followed through on. Despite her temper, Alicia always tried to be diplomatic. Marcus wasn’t like that. 

Katie wondered if he’d make the same threats to protect his other friends. Probably not. He’d make them for his mother, though. She knew that without a doubt. Katie bristled at the thought that he somehow thought her incapable of standing up for herself even as her heart fluttered at his words. This was annoying. She was both irritated and flattered. Why couldn’t she decide on one feeling? If Gilbert or Alicia were the ones making the threat, she’d be mad. When did her feelings about Marcus start getting so complex? 

Mentally, she traced back her relationship with Marcus, trying to figure out when her feelings about Marcus had turned into the tumultuous storm that churned within her. When she was eleven, she’d fancied him. That was a simple emotion. When she was twelve, she’d hated him while still missing his friendship—a little more complex than a simple crush, but still a fairly ordinary reaction. 

When she was thirteen, she’d warily forgiven him. His presence had seemed back into her life. No longer thinking herself in love with him, their friendship had blossomed. She’d become comfortable with him. He existed within her silent, little world, teasing her as they played exploding snaps, hidden away in the storeroom. When she was fourteen, she’d taken over the QQS workshop and he’d become another fixture in the space, no different from the work table or the carving bench. Marcus knew her better than everyone else in her life. It made sense that her emotions regarding him were so complicated. 

Leanne would make a comment about her being in love if she were privy to Katie’s thoughts, but Leanne was a hopeless romantic. Katie wasn’t in love with Marcus. Love was about stolen moments, and passionate declarations, and forbidden touches. It was about fighting tooth-and-nail to be together and defying the odds as her parents had. Love wasn’t about sitting in silence, the whisper of Katie’s carving knife filling the room as Marcus flipped through the worn pages of _Quidditch Through the Ages,_ making notes on sections he disagreed with. 

A part of her wondered if it wouldn’t be so bad, though. She wanted to fall in love, but, with her mother pushing her towards a match to avoid getting caught off-guard by the marriage law, it was seeming less and less possible. She was friends with Oliver, but not the way that she was with Marcus. Would it really be so bad? Katie could picture it, enjoying his company until she was too old to hear. The corners of her lips turned up at the mental image. _No. It would be good_. 

She couldn’t believe that she was entertaining such thoughts. They were friends—the best of friends. Acting on such daydreams was sure to change their friendship, and Katie didn’t want that to happen. Besides, it wasn’t as if she fancied him again. She didn’t… She couldn’t… It wasn’t like that. 

Burying her thoughts deeply inside her, Katie toed open the door and pushed inside. Marcus and Caelum were having a glaring match. Katie dropped the broom boxes on the floor. They landed with a thud, causing both men to glance at Katie. “I have twenty brooms in the alley that need to be brought inside before someone tries to steal them. Are you going to stand there or help me?”

**Author's Note:**

> Katie and her confidence that she knows exactly what romantic love looks like, but, what can I say? She's sixteen. Her only real experience of what love is supposed to look like comes from romance novels and her parents, who more-or-less were the main characters in a romance novel themselves. 
> 
> I firmly believe that, if it weren't for the marriage law, Marcus and Katie would've probably gotten together in their twenties after both of them had dated around and realized that there's really no one who understands them like each other, but because we have the marriage law, there's _drama_.


End file.
